My Husband

Her face drained of all color until she looked like a corpse. The entire room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.

The head maid immediately rushed forward, her voice rising in panic. "She meant nothing by it, My Lady! She is simply confused with all the royal preparations…"

A low, sharp laugh burst out of my throat, cutting the woman off instantly. "No, no. Let her finish."

The young maid swallowed hard, her mouth opening and closing uselessly. I stared right into her eyes, letting my dark aura press into the room until she finally lowered her head in absolute terror. "I... I beg for your forgiveness, My Lady! I spoke out of turn!"

I turned back toward the vanity mirror, looking at my own reflection as the truth settled in. So that was it.

They had fully expected Calista to walk through those palace doors today. Of course they did. My pathetic family had promised them the sweet, perfect daughter, the beautiful twin, the pure saint of the household. But instead of their golden child, my father had secretly shipped off the dark monster.

I couldn't even bring myself to be mad. It was almost funny. I smiled wickedly at my reflection, smoothing down the front of the silver dress. "So my lovely little sister was supposed to marry the prince, huh?"

Neither of the maids dared to answer, but their frozen postures gave me all the confirmation I needed.

I threw my head back and laughed out loud. "Typical."

I wasn't surprised at all. Calista was always the twin everyone wanted. If there was something precious or good in the world, it naturally went to her. If there was something dark, unwanted, or dangerous, my parents shoved it straight onto me.

Apparently, marrying a disabled prince in a wheelchair belonged in the second category. But too bad for my family, because I wasn't about to complain about this trade.

Rowan was breathtakingly handsome, and from what I had seen of him yesterday, he wasn't nearly as soft or boring as I had expected a human to be. That was already more than enough for me. Besides, I had no intention of turning into some sweet, submissive little wife just because someone draped a white veil over my hair.

When the ceremony finally started, it went by in a blur of gold, incense, and whispering nobles. I walked down the long stone aisle with my chin held high, not giving a single damn about the nervous, pitying looks the court kept throwing at

Rowan. They looked at him like he was a lamb being handed over to a wolf.

Well… they weren't completely wrong about that part.

Before I knew it, the vows were spoken, the rings were exchanged, and the priest officially declared us husband and wife.

Night fell fast over the castle. A few servants helped me out of that heavy wedding dress and into a thin, loose nightgown before practically sprinting out of the room. I spent the next few minutes pacing around the massive royal bedchamber, staring at the ridiculous amount of scented candles and fresh rose petals someone had scattered everywhere.

I picked up a rose, sniffed it, and immediately tossed it onto the floor.

"Disgusting. Way too sweet."

A heavy thud came from the wooden door, and my heart gave a strange little bounce. I turned around just as the door pushed open, watching Rowan enter the room in his dark wooden wheelchair.

He looked entirely unbothered, as if getting married to a bloodthirsty vampire woman in front of his entire kingdom was just another boring Tuesday for him.

I crossed my arms over my chest, walking slowly toward him like a predator stalking its prey. "So you finally decided to show up, husband."

He stopped his chair in the center of the room, his dark gray eyes tracking my movement. "It is my bedchamber."

"Our bedchamber," I corrected, stopping right in front of his chair. I leaned down, resting my hands on his shoulders, bringing my face so close I could feel the warmth of his skin. "You're my husband now, Rowan. You belong to me."

"Is that so?" he murmured, his voice completely steady, not a single trace of fear in his tone.

His absolute calm set my blood on fire.

Any other man would be trembling, sweating, or trying to back away from me right now. But Rowan just sat there, looking up into my face with those cool, mysterious eyes.

I ran my thumb over his jawline, my fangs extending until they pressed lightly against my lower lip. "I found out something very interesting today. Your little servants were expecting my twin sister. They wanted Calista. They wanted the saint."

Rowan didn't flinch. "I am aware."

"My family traded me off like unwanted trash," I whispered, my voice turning dark and dangerous. "They thought they were punishing me by sending me to a disabled prince. But they made a huge mistake."

"Did they?"

"Yes," I grinned, my eyes flashing red in the candlelight. "Because I am not an obedient wife. I don't listen to rules, I don't obey orders, and I will tear this palace apart if anyone tries to control me. Do you understand me, Rowan?"

He looked straight into my wild, glowing eyes, his mouth curving up into the faintest, most infuriating smirk. "I wouldn't have it any other way, wife."

That smirk completely pushed me over the edge.

I grabbed him firmly by the collar of his shirt, my knuckles brushing against his throat. Without giving him a second to react, I slammed my weight forward and shoved his wheelchair backward until it hit the heavy wooden edge of the mattress.

Before he could even speak, I grabbed his chest and yanked him completely out of his chair, throwing him backward onto the huge bed.

Rowan landed flat against the plush mattress, his dark hair falling messy across his forehead. Before he could move a muscle, I climbed straight over his lap, straddling his waist and pinning his wrists firmly against the silk sheets above his head.

I hovered directly over his chest, my body pressing heavily against his, my sharp fangs gleaming under the candlefire as I looked down at his face.

Rowan didn't struggle. He just lay there beneath me, his chest rising and falling against mine, his dark eyes locked onto my lips with an intensity that made my entire body go hot.

I leaned down until my lips were barely a breath away from his ear, whispering in a low, intoxicating purr. "Now you're completely trapped, my quiet little husband. Let's see how long that calm face lasts when I'm done with you.”